Afoot and Afield: Portland/Vancouver. Douglas Lorain
bridge spanning the East Fork Lewis River, fully three stories above the green-tinged waters.
After crossing the river, the 10-foot-wide, virtually level, and wheelchair-accessible trail heads downstream through a forest of Douglas firs, western red cedars, bigleaf maples, and red alders towering over an understory dominated by ferns and thimbleberries. Although well above the river, the trail remains close enough to allow hikers to look down into the stream’s lovely waters. The path soon passes Moulton Falls, really just a rocky cascade, and then, at 0.35 mile from the arched bridge, comes to a junction.
The narrow trail that goes left (uphill) is the Bells Mountain Trail (Trip 6). For this hike you continue straight on the wide gravel path. As you walk (calling it “hiking” would give the impression that the trail is much more challenging than it really is) you will frequently see homes and cars on the other side of the river. From spring through fall, however, leaves on the deciduous trees hide most of these unnatural sights, while in winter, traffic on the road is less frequent and not too intrusive. In fact winter is a particularly nice time to visit because several seasonal side creeks are filled with rainwater then and cascade over small waterfalls into the river. Unfortunately this canyon gets almost no sun during the winter months, so it can be dark and chilly.
At about 1.5 miles a railroad track crosses the river and parallels the trail. A nice highlight comes at 1.9 miles when you reach a lovely unnamed lake on the north side of the trail. Here you can look for wildlife such as deer and a variety of birds or eat lunch on a small bench and picnic table at the lake’s west end. The trail’s last 0.5 mile are paved and include a bridge over a small but very attractive side creek just before trail’s end at the Hantwick Road Trailhead.
While in the area, take the time to check out Lucia Falls, in a small county park 0.3 mile west of the Hantwick Road turnoff. Swimming is not allowed here to protect the fish, but the cascading falls is picturesque and well worth a visit.
TRIP 6 Bells Mountain Trail
| Distance | 4.2 miles, Out-and-back; 7.5 miles, Point-to-point | |
| Elevation Gain | 1100 feet, Out-and-back; 1800 feet, Point-to-point | |
| Hiking Time | 2 to 8 hours | |
| Optional Map | USGS Dole, Yacolt (trail not shown) | |
| Usually Open | February to November | |
| Best Time | February to November | |
| Trail Use | Dogs OK, mountain biking, horseback riding | |
| Agency | Yacolt State Forest | |
| Difficulty | Moderate to Difficult |
HIGHLIGHTS The relatively new Bells Mountain Trail serves as a useful link between the trails in Moulton Falls County Park and the extensive network of trails around Silver Star Mountain. Although not wildly scenic, the trail is fun because it is hikeable nearly all year, includes some nice views and creekside scenery, and gives you a good workout. On the downside, the middle section of the trail is unattractive since it passes through several clear-cuts and illegal all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) have badly damaged the tread. At either end, however, the trail is quite lovely and fun to explore.
DIRECTIONS From the intersection of State Highways 502 and 503 in Battleground, drive 5.7 miles north on Highway 503. Turn right on N.E. Rock Creek Road, which soon becomes Lucia Falls Road, and proceed 8.4 miles to the small parking lot for Moulton Falls County Park on the right.
Mt. St. Helens from Bells Mountain Trail
Walk the gravel path that goes east along the road’s shoulder and cross rushing Big Tree Creek on a wooden bridge that parallels the road bridge. From here you walk through the developed area of Moulton Falls County Park, generally looping to the south through a picnic area and past an outstanding swimming hole that is very popular in summer. Pulling away from the picnic area, the wide gravel trail climbs to an impressively tall arching bridge that spans the East Fork Lewis River.
After crossing the river, the 10-foot-wide gravel trail heads downstream through a forest of Douglas firs, western red cedars, bigleaf maples, and red alders towering over an understory dominated by ferns and thimbleberries. At 0.5 mile, shortly after passing the roaring cascades of Moulton Falls, is a junction.
Turn left (uphill) on the narrow Bells Mountain Trail, and begin exercising those thighs as you tackle a solid uphill grade. In the next 1.6 miles the trail gains about 1000 feet in an uneven but often moderately steep ascent with numerous switchbacks and twisting turns. Several gullies and seasonal creeks along the way are spanned by wooden plank bridges, which help to keep things interesting. The forest is also attractive, although not particularly varied being dominated by second-growth Douglas firs and red alders. Sword fern is so abundant on the forest floor it crowds out virtually all other plants. At 2.1 miles the main climbing ends where you hit the end of a logging spur road at a small clear-cut. Although the surroundings are a bit unsightly, the opening provides excellent views to the north over the East Fork Lewis River valley to Mt. St. Helens, mantled in snow for most of the year. This viewpoint is a reasonable turnaround point for those seeking a shorter hike.
Those continuing south on the Bells Mountain Trail will find the next section of gentle ups and downs to be easy walking. Sadly, it is not very attractive, because the area is dominated by clear-cuts. Seemingly every tree is either already cut or assigned for harvest in the near future. On the plus side the clear-cuts provide nice southeasterly views of Silver Star Mountain. When you reenter the forest, you soon encounter a second problem, ATVs. Although officially prohibited on the Bells Mountain Trail, the riders of these noisy intruders either haven’t gotten the message or simply don’t care. One of the many problems the machines cause is confusion, as unmarked bike trails sprout up and lead off to various unknown destinations. At the first of these junctions you should veer left, and then just 0.15 mile later go straight where another ATV trail cuts directly across your path. Don’t be surprised if more of these unmarked ATV trails spring up in the future. There would be much less confusion if it were easy to distinguish your foot trail from those made by ATVs. Unfortunately, the ATVs muck up the works even more by riding on the Bells Mountain Trail itself. The result is not just confusion but a sloppy mess of muddy trails, erosion, and torn up tread.
The ATV damage is especially sad because, apart from the machine-caused eyesores, the surroundings are quite attractive, especially as you descend along an unnamed but pretty creek that rapidly increases in volume. At about 4 miles you cross the creek on a sturdy metal bridge and then gradually climb to another group of clear-cuts. In the midst of this logging activity, at about 5 miles, the trail comes to another primitive logging road. To relocate the trail, you need to cross the road at an angle going slightly to the right and a little uphill.
After this extended unattractive section, you are finally rewarded with some of the trail’s nicest scenery. Back in forest, the trail descends to Cedar Creek and follows this clear, rollicking gem upstream for about 2 miles to a sturdy metal bridge. Immediately on the other side of the bridge is a junction with a gravel, wheelchair-accessible trail to Cold Creek Campground. You cannot leave a car at this permit-only site, so to